Posted: 5/22/2006 4:54:58 PM EDT
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This has been bugging me for a while now, but just this morning, I figured I had to finally ask. Why is it that joggers will run *in* the road, right next to a perfectly good sidewalk? I've seen this a lot at work -- I'll go walking around the block in the afternoons when I have time, and other folks will be walking and running in the road, their feet mere inches from the sidewalk. This morning though, took the cake. There was a jogger, jogging in the center of my lane, running away from me. He saw my headlights and shifted over out of the way, but seriously, WTF? And then, just 1/4 mile over the rise and 'round the bend, there was another jogger, running right on the double yellow. Both of these guys were jogging in the pre-dawn dark. Both of them were wearing reflecting vests, so it's not like they were out to end it all. The whole stretch of road has a sidewalk right at the curb, in good repair, and not even with any weeds or litter or anything. So, can anybody explain this to me? |
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I honk at people who do that. I still give them plenty of room, but I honk. Unless there's something really wrong with the sidewalk, like big uneven cracks, angry rattlesnakes, etc - there is NO reason to run on the road. If they wanted to be on the road, they should have taken their car. When I used to be a runner, I NEVER ran on the roadway. |
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Generally, sidewalks are uneven and broken from trees. Then there are the driveways, curbs, etc. Concrete is also harder on your body than asphalt. Those are some of the reasons serious runners stay on the road. It's usually better for your legs, free of obstructions, and flat. I run on the sidewalk though, because I use headphones and don't want to get hit, plus joggers on the street really piss me off. The only time you'll see me on a road is if the sidewalk really sucks or there isn't one. |
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As mentioned above, sometimes sidewalks are bad, and you have to pay attention when stepping down from a curb to the pavement, but on busy streets and in the dark? Loony tunes. Anyone that runs in a roadway after dark no matter what their dress are just asking to be made road pizza. |
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because cement is harder, it's easier to run on the black top, it absorbs some of the shock, when you run long distance everything makes a difference, running on the street is a little easier on the joints than cement. it's also more fatiging to run on hard cement, since it doesnt absorb any shock like black top I prefer to run on a dirt track the best |
I run on the road for several reasons: Uneven pavement on the sidewalks lends itself to ankle injuries.... Stepping down off the curb on every corner, driveway, etc. can easily cause an ankle injury. And the biggest reason of them all: Stupid people that are oblivious to the world around them. I've slammed into people walking out of stores who didn't bother looking where they're going. I've been tripped by people with their dogs on a ten foot leash that block the entire sidewalk. I've ground to a halt because of people taking up the whole sidewalk yapping away, blocking it. I've run into people who stare at a store window and abruptly turned into the sidewalk without first looking. People are way too much aggravation. Running on the side of the road is much safer...... That said, I run in parks and on trails at every chance I get.. |
+1 Yup, this is why I do it. I also get out of the way of oncoming traffic, if another car is coming from behind. I always run against traffic. In the winter, I run in the dark, and I always watch every car very, very carefully, and figure they can't see me, don't care, and aren't paying attention. So far, I'm still alive, along with my dog, who runs with me. |
I've never felt the difference between concrete and regular asphalt. Roadways tend to be smoother and with less cracks to trip over tho'. However a few years back the local high-school re-paved their outdoor track with this special stuff, it looks like asphalt with very-fine black rocks in it, but it feels rubbery. When you walk on it you don't notice, but when you run and your feet hit it, you actually feel it "bounce". The black "rocks" in it could be rubber bits I suppose. I know they also b!tch at people for riding bicycles on it, as it is rather easily damaged they say. ~ |
Concrete is one of the hardest substances you can run on. That doesn't mean asphalt=soft, though. It just means it's softer than concrete. If you're a distance runner, you want to be careful of the really hard stuff. It can cause injuries, particularly stress fractures. |